Avatar: Bloodbender
by Ashen Dracona
Summary: A story of the world Aang left behind, and the Avatar that was his successor.
1. Prologue Hama's Escape

This is the Prologue to my Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfiction. This will not be the story of the Gaang, but of the next Avatar and the world they were born into. Obviously original characters will be present, but they will not be 'main characters'.

The prologue takes place after Hama was arrested in "The Puppetmaster".

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.

* * *

**Prologue - Hama**

The guards in this prison have grown slack. At first, I was treated with the respect a master blood bender should be. I had eight guards at all times, one for each cardinal direction. The bars of my cage were thick and stone, but each guard could see their comrades and myself clearly.

The day before the full moon, I was moved to something of a stone box. There was no actual entrance, and an earth bender had to bend the rock out the way when I was taken in and out. There was a tiny air hole, barely large enough to fit my pinky finger through, drilled into the top.

This was their first mistake. It was meant to keep me from suffocating, and so that they could hear me if I tried to do anything suspicious. But I got just as much use out of it as they did.

The guards spoke quietly to themselves when I was in this box, and at first I could not hear them. But as the months passed, they grew more bold. Careless.

This was their second mistake, for through their inane mutterings I learned all that I needed. The current situation of the war. Where the Avatar and his group were last sighted. Who was afraid of drowning.

Understandably, I was particularly sweet to the guard who was afraid of drowning. Their barely concealed terror amused me.

Their final mistake was assigning different guards than usual to watch over my stone box on the full moon. They weren't rookies, perhaps, but they certainly weren't very bright, either. Or, perhaps, they suffered from what most Fire Nation trash suffers from; An unwavering belief that a bender, even a master, of an element other than their own was inferior.

And they relaxed into conversation within twenty minutes of the full moon rising.

"What's so special about the old hag anyway?" A gruff voice asked. He must have been a porker too, because when he leaned against the outside of my supposedly-full-moon-safe-prison, the stone groaned. Until that moment, I had had no idea that stone could groan.

"She's a master water bender, and a criminal." This voice was less arrogant, more feminine and cold. Dangerous. If she weren't Fire Nation, we might have gotten along swimmingly.

"Ain't those the same things?" The first voice replied, quickly letting out a bellow of laughter.

This caused me to pause. Firstly, because respect for one's elders should have been beaten into the boy a long time ago. Secondly, because it was at this point that I realized that there were only two guards assigned to watch over me on this night.

I could not see the full moon, but I could feel it's blessing rushing through my veins. Tonight, I would be free.

My bladder wasn't full, since my previous guards were smart enough to not give me water for a full 24 hours before the full moon until 24 hours after it had descended. But I hadn't asked to use the restroom since my last drink, either.

While others may not have been willing to do what I was about to do, I feel no shame. Freedom is worth more than pride.

Thinking these thoughts made it easier to gather the rags that remained of my skirts away from my legs, squat, and urinate in that confined space.

"What was that?"

I tried to use my most pathetic and strained voice. "I'm so very sorry, but…I really had to go…"

"Agni! Disgusting!" The male voice snarled, before shouting "Earth bender! We need an earth bender in here!"

The third set of footsteps came near. "What's going on?" "The old hag pissed herself. Open it up so we can get someone to clean it up. I am _not_ going to stand here all night with the stench of old pee."

The female guard made a sound of protest, but could not stop the earth bender from opening the side of my prison.

* * *

Expect the next update within a week or so.


	2. Fragments

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.

* * *

Chapter 1 - Fragments

Fire Lord Zuko sat silently at his desk, fingering the prickly remains of a badly shaved beard. Like his father, his capacity for growing facial air was limited to eyebrows--or 'eyebrow', in his case--and the very tip of his chin. The latter area was stubbornly trying to sprout forth a forest to match the generous beard of

"…every other Fire Lord to sit on the throne EVER."

Golden eyes fell onto Avatar Aang, who had been leading Zuko's train of thought for the past hour with a rant meant to distract both men from why the Avatar was really visiting. If it were just to spend some time with a close friend, then the two men would be outside with the Turtle Ducks. If it were something of political importance, the Airbender would have gotten to the point by now.

Which meant two things. Firstly, that whatever was on the Avatar's mind was important. Secondly, he really wished it wasn't.

Finally tiring of talking about stuffy Fire Lord facial air tradition, Zuko raised a hand, palm facing his friend, to stop the chattering. The last time Aang had talked this much about absolutely nothing was when Toph became the captain of the Royal Guard for Fire Nation, and her parents tried to sue Zuko with child endangerment and kidnapping.

Not a fun experience, but it had worried Aang more than anyone else.

"What's going on, Aang?" Zuko asked, lowering his raised hand and lacing it with the fingers of the other and placing both on his desk.

The Avatar's own hands clenched and unclenched in his lap. "It's…"

Zuko had never been particularly patient. He hadn't needed to be as a child, because he was the prince of the strongest nation in the world. He got what he wanted, when he wanted it. As a teen, he was too angry at the world to give a damn about the virtue of patience.

Only years of dealing with rambling council members had gotten him this far.

A minute or so of silence passed between the two men before a nearby candle started to flicker under the press of Zuko's growing annoyance. Aang correctly took this as a sign to get to the point.

"The Water Tribes need to start preparing for the next Avatar."

"…What…?"

If it is possible for a Fire Nation noble to become paler than they already are, Zuko did then. Aang, unable to sit and fidget under the shocked and worried gaze of his friend, stood and began pacing around the room. When he didn't explain further, Zuko stood as well, though remained behind his desk.

"Aang, what do you mean? Are you sick? How could you be sick?! You're the healthiest person I know!" The volume of the Fire Lord's voice rose through out the string of questions until, by the end, he was shouting. Aang was too used to Zuko's temper to do anything more than stop and look at the other man.

Ever since the fall of Ozai ten years ago, they and their friends had worked to rebuild the war torn world. It felt like the most damnable betrayal to leave before the job was even halfway done.

"After I took Ozai's bending away, I…I realized that, if I could turn a bender into just a normal person, I…I could do the same in reverse."

Zuko didn't know if he should be horrified and go on a tirade about how the goal was to restore balance to the world, not fuck it up all over again, or just sit there and listen to what sounded like his best friend's last confession.

The Avatar turned away as he said "I am the avatar, but at my CORE, I am an Airbender. I gave pieces of that part of me to people who wanted to become Airbenders."

The Fire Lord's mouth was dry from hanging open so long. "Did it-"

Aang cut him off with a jerky nod. Zuko paused before asking the most important question.

"You gave away pieces…of your…soul?"

* * *

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN

The severity of how much Aang has messed up the balance of the world will become evident in the next chapter.

When we actually get to the real story and not just setting it up! 8D EXCITEMENT.

And thank you, Metella, for being my very first reviewer/commenter. =3


End file.
